Utility meters typically include a metering circuit that is capable of measuring some aspect of a consumed commodity and a display that provides visual information regarding the measured consumption. For example, in electricity meters, a metering circuit measures electrical energy delivered to a customer or load, and the display provides visual information regarding the measured energy data. While many simple meters continue to use rotating disks and mechanical displays, many newer meters employ electronic displays such as LCD or LED displays.
In meters having electronic displays, the meter is programmed to display information generated within the metering circuit. To this end, the metering circuit may write data to memory in certain locations and in a certain way, and then a processing circuit (which may be part of the metering circuit) displays the data written to the memory locations in a predetermined sequence according to a standard meter display routine.
The standard meter display routine specifies what meter data will be displayed and in what format. The data that may be displayed by a typical utility meter with and electronic display is limited to the data that is generated by the meter or otherwise contained within the meter. Although some meters are configurable, the meter is typically only configurable to the extent that the display functionality is selected from a set of functions supported by the meter's firmware. When the meter is configured for use in the field, a meter operator, such as a utility employee, selects certain functions and parameters for the meter's standard display routine from a set of standard functions and parameters pre-programmed into the firmware of the meter. Once the meter is in the field, the meter may be re-configured to alter the meter display routine by selecting additional or different functions, data, or parameters found within the meter. However, the display of the meter is limited to the meters existing programming, and typical meters are not equipped to display data from a source external to the meter and/or with functions and parameters not found in the meter firmware. The meter's display limitations reduce the overall functionality of the meter and ability to work effectively with remote sources external to the meter.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a utility meter that provides the ability to display a message received from a remote source outside of the utility meter after the meter is placed in the field. In addition, it would also be advantageous to provide a utility meter that can deliver data to a remote location for processing and receive processed or compiled data in return that may then be displayed by the utility meter. It would also be advantageous if such a utility meter included protection measures to ensure that only certain parties have certain limited abilities to alter the meter's display.